BMECHE & PHT180 Research Seminar - Andrea Mazzocchi, Ph.D., CEO Known Medicine (RIT BME '16)
Andrea Mazzocchi, Ph.D.
Co-founder and CEO at Known Medicine
Bio-Inspired Hydrogels for Prediction of Disease Response In Vitro
Abstract
It has become well established that many 2-dimensional cell culture models are unable to adequately represent in vivo tissue and microenvironments. In response to this developed understanding, researchers have been focused on incorporating novel materials and extracellular matrix components, physical and chemical cues, and mechanical components to cell culture, yielding 3-dimensional culture, and ultimately, the field of tissue engineering. However, many cell friendly biomaterials are not advantageous for mechanical or chemical control and can be limiting during experimental design. Yet the best mechanically and chemically controlled biomaterials are often limited in use due to synthetic origin and the need for harsh reagents that are toxic to cells. This tension has opened the door to utilizing unique chemistries and components to create ideal biomaterials. Mazzocchi’s work incorporates the design of materials with utilization of patient-specific cells to advance precision medicine. Translating the science from bench to industry has resulted in Known Medicine - an early stage wet lab x data science company focused on developing the best treatment for every cancer.
Biography
Andrea Mazzocchi, Ph.D. is co-founder and CEO at Known Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT. She completed her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Wake Forest School of Medicine and received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has spent the past several years focused on cancer biology, tissue engineering, and biomaterials. Her research has focused on the intersection of these fields to generate a cancer precision medicine platform. Known Medicine marries this patient-specific wetlab approach with data science to generate biological, computational, and clinical insights to improve cancer patient lives.
Event Snapshot
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Open to the Public
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No